Darker than BLACK: Grim Destiny
by BlissWord
Summary: One Year has passed since the Tokyo Explosion, Hei And Yin are on the run from a splinter Syndicate Organization. They've managed to avoid capture with help from the remnants of the Evening Primrose. Everyone has been getting used to the world they were all living in. Now the scales of balance have gone into complete disarray. Who is to decide it's for the better? Or worse?
1. A Rude Awakening: Part One

A/N: If you read, please reply. I can't get better without your input.

For those who want to read the story scroll down to Part one, and begin your journey in to the DTB universe.

I wrote this to try and capture the feeling that you were watching a DTB Episode. That you would not only see what was going on, but you'd hear , smell, touch, and even taste it. I wrote this story because I didn't like the second season of DTB as much as I loved the first. I think that's because they shift the focus from Hei, to a random character we originally knew nothing about. This is my attempt at continuing the story without shifting focus from the character we all know and have come to love, Hei. Don't worry, other characters all love will get some light too. =) I hope you enjoy the read. And tell me what you think by reviewing it afterwards.

Darker Than Black: Grim Destiny

A Rude Awakening

Part One

Under the cover of the night sky, an inky black convertible with tinted windows pulled up in front of a towering building. The door swung open , and out stepped a woman with red leather leggings that had heels on the end of the sole. Tucked into her leggings were navy blue khakis that had a grey blouse enfolded at the brim. She glanced up at the sign hanging above the doors. It read Agora Financial. Even though it was too dark to actually read the sign she knew what it said. She was here for a reason. The patch over her left breast said Agora Financial Security in a times new roman font. The words were etched over the image of a half moon.

The woman strutted over to the glass doors, robustly swaying her hips with each step. She had to get the attention of the guard sitting at the desk some how. She had even unbutton her shirt a little more than required before stepping out the car. She was expecting that the guard would mistake her for a female colleague pouring signs of lust, and would hurry over to the doors. And then open them thinking he stood a chance. Otherwise, a more forceful approach would be required. That would be a waste. A lot of time went in to concocting this new guise. She even wore a curly brunette wig. On an ordinary mission she wouldn't have even gone that far.

The security guard who was formerly slumped over his desk, with his head in hand, stood up dutifully. As he got closer she saw that he as a lanky tall man, with a stubble beard masking his lower face. He straightened the security hat he was wearing, then popped his collar to make sure it was just right.

" Human men all think the same thing." Her full pink lips smirked. The guard must of mistook it for a smile, and increased his pace as he drew closer. The guard arrived the door, cautious at first. But then he glanced at her half exposed breast. His chest rose as he attempted to affirm his manliness to her. Men and their egos. The woman read the name badge on his left peck. It said Pete Harmon. The guard used the second to glance down her blouse again. She caught him in the act, men. Pete the Creep, that's what she was going to refer to him as. Honestly, she didn't care about it one way or the other. She just saw it as an opportunity to use one of the many tools in her arsenal. The woman perked her chest up more.

" What er' you doing here," He said through the thin glass in a thick southern accent. He was probably from America. Pete glanced at his watch. " It's 2:03 in the am. I'm the night guard fer t'night."

She mentally reviewed the mission file in her head before she gave an answer. " I'm here to do one last security sweep before they release the pest poison." The woman smiled.

" Well pest control get herre bout an hour from now," Pete scratched his head. "And I wuddnt told bout no security sweep."

She wasn't going to take no for an answer. Even with the glass door separating them he still couldn't prevent her from entering. Instead of ruining her alias, she took one last attempt at a civil solution.

If he still won't budge, then..

" Look, I got the call to come here an hour ago. I got home two hours ago. I don't want to be here just as much as you do. But like yourself I have a job to do." She stepped closer to the glass pane. Her eyelids lowered slightly, her slowed breathe caused dew to appear faintly, then fade on the glass between them. Now for the final blow. "I'm sure you and I could," she bit her lower lip slightly "Work something out."

Pete pulled the keys from his belt clip and began fumbling through them. At one point he dropped them entirely. She giggled briefly. Pete grabbed them and smiled. His face was beet red. He singled out a key, then unlocked the door, opening it for the woman.

She cased the place out in an single moment. In the middle of the tall atrium was a desk, directly behind that was a tall wooden pillar big enough for a room to fit. She pictured doors on the side. On the wall behind it were two elevators on both sides of pillar. They were too risky to use for this mission, simply because they were too slow and could be stopped with out her control. Hence, it was a liability. She glanced over at the far right wall, and saw a door there. Probably a staircase. Perfect.

"So wudd you have in mind?" he asked, as he stepped aside and extended his right arm out in a welcoming gesture. She lightly traced her red fingernails across Pete's bushy face all the way to his lips. Her own lips simpered, as she walked in.

"Let me worry about that honey." The woman's hands were resting on the side of her thin hips. Her curvaceous butt swung back and forth. She didn't have to look back, she knew he was looking. Pete's jaw hung slack as he watched her walk in the direction of the stairwell. He'd almost forgot to close the door, among other things.

"Hold up," he locked the door then caught up with her. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention " I aint even ask yer name. I need that and yer badge number. I'ma call just to make just to make sure. Den we can talk bout workin something out."

"So much time went in to making this believable disguise. Now all that work will go to waste. I guess killing you will make up for that though." The woman sighed.

"What?" Pete reached for the baton on his belt. At that moment the woman jabbed his windpipe with a closed hand. Pop! Pete dropped to his knees clutching his throat with both hands. He wheezed for air as he glared up at the woman. Rivulets of blood poured from his mouth. Sheer terror had seized all expression on his face.

"Normally, I would watch you drown on your blood. But since you were such a gentleman, I'll put you out of your misery." The woman let out a whole hearted laugh as she walked behind him. "I don't really mean that. I just don't have the time to watch you squirm like a little helpless fish." She took hold of both ends of his head, starting with his chin. Then.. SNNAAAP! She let go of his skull, causing his body to land on the porcelain floor with a thump.

The Killer glanced at the entrance. Not a soul was to be seen, especially at this time of the night. She looked up at the camera hanging on the terrace directly above the desk. The security office would have a view of all the cameras in the building. The Killer fast walked over to the side of the pillar. She was right. Doors were there, and it had the words SECURITY imprinted above it. She grabbed the lifeless Pete by the arms and dragged him to the door. Upon ruffling through all his pockets she found matches and a key card. She swiped the key card and the door clicked open. She dragged the body into the middle of the room.

The entire left wall was covered with security cameras flashing different views every few seconds. A control terminal was dishing out below them. She took the baton out of Pete's belt sash and headed to the few lockers on the right wall. She found his, then smashed the lock until it bounced to the floor. It swung open, exposing a full fifth of cheap whiskey and a pack of cigarettes. Her hand reached for the bottle, then she made her way to the terminal. The Killer didn't bother stepping over Pete. Her red heel pressed in to his chest. A dark shade of blood oozed from every facial orifice

"I gotta tell ya Pete, with this bottle of cheap whiskey you sure do know a way to a woman's heart."

She sat down at the terminal and looked at the clock. The time was showing 2:16. Setting the bottle on the floor, she got to work erasing the camera feed. Pest control was scheduled to arrive in less than thirty minutes. There was more than enough time. But she figured if she hurried she could watch the room burn for a few minutes after she torched it. Her limber fingers swiftly traced the keyboard, clicking letters continuously. Since she didn't have the password, she had to find a back door to override the system. Within in minutes she was in, and cameras across the wall started to go blank. It wasn't long before the screens across the wall were showing nothing but a bunch of static. The Killer pressed the button over the hard drive. A white disk slid out a slot, aside the button. It was the recorded feed. She threw it in the trash by the door. The Woman grabbed the whiskey bottle and began dousing the room, starting with Pete's face. She poured it on the floor, the terminal, and even splashed some on the lockers and walls.

Walking over to the door, she set the rest of alcohol down on the floor. Then began disrobing her shirt and pants. Underneath was a one piece dark red leather out fit that could zip all the way up to breast. It hugged tightly enough to her skin that it easily went unnoticed before. She discarded the rags into the trash, then pulled off the wig adding it to the pile. The Woman undid the pins that held down her purple hair. It gracefully dropped over shoulders, glinting like metallic linen clothe.

"That's much better."

With the security feed erased there was no need for the ruse any longer. She wore red leather mainly because blood wouldn't show when it was splattered upon by an unfortunate victim. It became like a second skin, or a uniform for her. So to wear anything else irked her, and she'd avoid it when ever possible. However, she did make exception an for black.

The Killer poured the rest of the contents from the bottle into garbage. She gazed at the clock that read 2:23, then tossed the bottle at it. The bottle smashed in to the clock making it drop to the ground. She lit one of the matches then dropped it to the garbage. It set a blaze immediately. She kicked the can over. It caused a chain reaction of flames through out the room. She watched from a safe distance as the flames danced around the room. She let the stench of burnt flesh fill her nostrils while the flames licked the dead body. Most people would puke. But she was unlike most people in so many ways. There was no sense in cleaning up the trail of blood either. Her presence had been completely erased just now, so she was in the clear.

No more than two minutes had passed before she started to make her way to the stairwell. Enough fun had been had already, now it was time to focus on the reason she was here in the first place. The Matsu Chip. The Killer opened the stairwell door then headed up. The Syndicate said their mole had told them the chip was on the tenth floor. The mission file, which was double classified, said that the chip's retrieval was of top priority. It contained a paper trail that could lead to a existence of multiple high ranking Syndicate officials if it got in to the right hands. The chip got in to the hands of a financial agent by pure accident. It had only been here one day. There's no telling what damage has been done already. Any longer and it could have been pure chaos. It had to be retrieve at all cost. That's why she was on the job, because the Syndicate needed a sure thing.

The Killer kept walking calmly up the steps. There was no need to rush. She knew exactly where it was and had plenty of time to get there. As the Woman reached the ninth floor she thought she heard a thud sound coming from the floor above. She stopped in her tracks, hoping to hear a repeat. Usually a person wouldn't care about making more noise. She dismissed the possibility of someone else presence. It must have been a bird hitting a window or something. Arriving at the tenth floor, she pulled on the door handle. She opened the door then walked through.

* * *

><p>\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The zip-line tottered back and forth as The Black Reaper made his accent towards the top of the Agora Financial skyscraper. The clear night sky provided enough light for him to place each step carefully. The back alley concrete would be welcoming him below if he made the slightest mistake. Or he could fall fifteen stories and land in to an open dumpster. That would be an interesting bit for the newspapers. Even with his white mask obscuring some of his view, he wasn't worried . Hei had always been good at climbing, even as a kid.

When Hei was about ten, Pai and him would always spend their weekends playing in the apple orchard behind their house. His little sister would always pester him about playing hide and seek until Hei would finally cave in. Hei would always go first, and he'd always manage to find her, no matter where she hid. By the time Pai finished counting, Hei was already well up in the trees. Each time she came near, he throw an apple, sending her to search in another direction. Then he'd make his way to a different tree until Pai finally gave up.

"Brother! Brother Hei!" she cried out. Before tears would swell up in her eyes, he'd hopped out the tree in to a barrel roll. " You cheater!" she screamed. Hei just laughed then put his arm around her shoulders. "It's called hide and seek. Not hide in a place where you could find me."

"Still it's no fair." She exclaimed. Pai pursed her lips and crossed her arms in resentment. Hei just laughed some more. Not a moment later she joined him. _That was a good memory_, Hei told himself as he recalled the moment.

And this was not the time to think about it either, especially not now. Too much was at stake.

Hei continued his trek up the skyscraper. He was more than half way up when someone from Evening Primrose radioed in. The earpiece began distort with static and then a clear voice followed.

"This is Amagiri. What's your status?" the voice asked.

Hei roped the zip line around his right arm for more support, then used his left hand to press the transmit signal in his ear. " I'm on the seventeenth story. Only 13 more to go." responded Hei.

"I would laugh but this mission is too important, plus I'm a contractor. So my sense of humor is lacking"

"Well for being a contractor that was rather funny. Almost makes me want to tell you to get your ass up here with me" Hei wasn't sure Amagiri heard the sarcasm in his voice until he heard a throaty laugh over the earpiece. " Ah, so you find that funny do you? I assume you didn't radio in to hear me tell bad jokes. Or did you Amagiri?"

The serious tone returned immediately. "No, I'm just simply reminding why your on this mission."

"I know why. I have to get the Matsu chip. I don't understand how a chip containing a stream of data is going make the Syndicate stop coming after Yin and I." Hei put the micro on speaker and continued his climb.

Amagiri continued, "The Matsui chip might contain vital data that possibly expose the Syndicate in some way. This chip could be used as your bargaining piece to keep Yin and You safe for a while. Long enough for EVP to set you up in a secured hiding place."

"Might? Possibly expose the Syndicate?" Hei shook his head. "I don't like the sound of this. And how do you know someone isn't watching through the tint as I climb up windows?" Hei quizzed.

"A mandatory pest control repellant is being distributed through the ventilation at three. So the building is pretty much cleared except for night shift on the first floor. They're supposed to let the Pest control in the building. Everyone will be out by three though. As for the rest, possibly is all we got. We're not even sure if this chip actually exist. But now is are only chance to confirm that. We burned a lot of contacts just to catch wind of this Intel. We're taking actions for relocation as we speak."

"Great, so basically we're chasing a myth in the dark." Hei sighed.

"Hei, even if this op has the slightest chance of success, the slimmest chance to undermine the Syndicate, then its worth the risk. You of all people should know that."

"Your right, Amagiri. Thank you for reminding me. I won't fail you." confirmed Hei.

"Good. That's what I wanted to hear."

"I will not fail you, Yin." Whispered Hei.

"What was that?' asked Amagiri.

"Nothing. I'm near the top, I'll signal you after I've completed this mission." Hei pressed the button on the earpiece, cutting the signal entirely. He grabbed on to the ledge of skyscraper and pulled himself up. The roof top door was off to the right. Hei walked over and put his hand on the cold metal handle. A jolt of electricity shot through metal. It caused the electronic lock to disable, and the alarm shut off simultaneously. He glanced at his watch, the time showed 2:13.

Hei pulled the door latch and walked through. Upon entering, he saw a white metal railing that had multiple flights of stair enclosed. According to the schematics he studied before hand, each level of stairs had a door to that floor. He was on the 30th floor. The chip is supposed to be on the 10th. Hei cast another zip-line from his black coat at the railing. The grappling hook swung around the rail and caught grip. He gave it a good tug before he attached the free end to his belt. Hei wasn't worried about being seen by the night guard since there were no cameras in the stairwell. He ran towards the guard then leaped over it, descending down the open air between the staircase at a high rate. The adrenaline was bursting in his veins.

Everything had to be done perfectly or he could lose everything within a glimpse. He could lose Yin. The Syndicate chased Him and Yin relentlessly after the particle accelerator incident. The two had been on the run for a year straight. Each time they settled down in what they assumed was a safe haven, the Syndicate would always come knocking on their door. From gunmen, to contractors, even dirty local politicians tried to coax them in to giving up. They traveled from Japan to the edge of the middle east. The outcome was always the same. Now, He was in back in Japan on a wild goose chase. No, this wasn't a goose chase. It's was a chance.

The line was still flaccid as Hei dropped tremendously. A moment later he was near the desired level when the line abruptly stopped. Causing him to bounce violently. When it calmed Hei glanced at the yellow paint on the cement wall. It read '12th floor.'

"Shit!" He cursed. "I cut the grapple line too damn short." He began fluttering his feet back and forth, as if he we're on a swing at a playground. He used the momentum to grab on to the railing for support then let himself down. He rushed down to the 10th floor and went the door. Freedom was just a few more yards away.

The Black Reaper proceeded down the hallway, taking mental notes of what he was seeing. The main floor had a maze of small cubicles that flooded outer floor. While the sides of the room had offices with glass windows and doors separating it from the rest of office. Hei figure these we reserved for manager's or highly esteemed employees. The place he was told search was at the far right end in one of these esteemed offices. He arrived at the oak door and pulled out his lock picking tools from his coat pouch. This door, and the glass window were the only two things that stood between him and salvation. He could easily break the glass, and enter that way. But why raise more suspicion?

After a few clicks the lock popped. He twisted the knob and swung the door open. It revealed a spacious office. The desk sat directly ahead. It had two chairs on each side and was complete with a computer set. Off to the left, was a bookstand that contained numerous books. Pictures of distant sceneries covered the excess walls. Hei thought he recognized one but wasn't sure.

Hei moved over to the computer and began surpassing it's safe guards instantly. After gaining access he did a rabbit search on any information about the Matsu Chip. Nothing. Not even a reference or conversation about it was found. Hei moved over to the bookshelf. He began pulling books, flipping through pages then discarded them to the ground. Half of the books were scattered across the floor when he decided to move and go through the desk drawers. Still nothing turned up.

This chip was turning out to be more of a myth than an actuality. Hei ran over to the bookshelf and pulled them off in the masses. Maybe the shelf had some secret switch that was hidden. Each book that hit floor, his heart sank little more. Until finally there was one more book left. Maybe with enough luck that was it, the switch had to be under that book. But there was no such luck to be had, the last book slipped from Hei's trembling fingers and landed on the pile.

That was it. The shifty Intel said it would have to be in this room. And he didn't have much time to go through the entire office floor before the pest poison was released. He'd searched every inch of this office and came up with nothing. Nothing to show for the mission. Nothing that could expose the Syndicate. Nothing that could protect Yin from them.

"No!" muttered Hei as his tightened fists pressed against his mask . He reached for the edge of the empty book shelf with both hands, then pulled it down. It crashed on to the pile books with a thump, causing pages to tear. The sound wasn't as bad as it would have been if the books hadn't been there to dampen it. He assumed it could only been loud enough to hear from the floor below. Which meant no one heard it.

Hei glared at the wall.

"I don't believe it." he stepped over the shelf and approached the wall. His hand touched the safe, which to his luck, was electronic. Had it been a dial safe it could of completely compromised the success rate of getting it to open. But since it was an electronic one that scanned finger signatures, he could short the power. It would open then because if the charge goes out then the door opens as a failsafe to retrieve the items stored in it. The charge usually last for decades. A bolt of electrical current zipped through the pad then immediately it went black. The safe door was ajar.

He swung the door completely open. It's contents were a few files, some money, and the chip.

The small computer chip was encased in plastic, and it had small hole that had linen necklace running through it. Hei grabbed the chip then went over to the computer. He had enough time to see what was on it. Just as he was bout to open the case, Hei heard the stairwell door slam shut across the other side of the entire office. He put the necklace over his head, hopped over the desk, and barrel rolled in to the cubicle facing the small office from which he came. There goes all assumptions.

He crawled under a desk and pulled the chair towards him to make it look undisturbed. The soft patter of foot steps made its way through maze towards his direction. Judging from the trajectory they the person was headed towards the office. The timing in between steps was too short. So who ever it was they weren't going to the office because they were alarmed by a noise. If they did they'd be running and the timing between steps would be much longer. Then why were they heading to office?

The steps drew closer until they stopped in front of the ransacked office. If the person standing there looked back, they wouldn't be able to Hei. It's because the desk is located on the cubicle wall that faced office.

"Interesting, somebody got here before me." It was a woman's voice. "No one was supposed be here." The woman walked in to the office. Hei heard the ruffling of a torn pages being kicked around. "Hmmmnn, It looks like they got the chip." Hei's heart leaped up to throat. How could she know the chip was gone? He didn't know it was there to begin with. "I better get out of here before pest control shows up."

The woman's steps retraced the path all the way back to the stairwell. He hard the door slam shut again. She must have left. Hei pushed the chair and stood up.

"Too easy." Said the same voice that was now directly behind him. Hei swiftly turned while lifting up his leg for a roundhouse kick. " Too slow." Before it even came close to connecting, a cold fist met the right side of his face. It knocked his mask clean off as it sent in him crashing through the cubicle wall. Cardboard debris and papers were flying off in different directions. Hei slammed in to the ground hard, making his neck whiplash from the blow.

"For someone who is know for his legendary speed, Mr. Black Reaper, you aren't all that fast. Or am I just faster," the woman put a finger over her lips and looked up, almost as if she were pondering her own question. Her hands returned to her sides "Yup! I'm definitely faster." She laughed briefly.

A dazed Hei started to push himself up on to his knees from his stomach.

"You're not much of spectacle. I got the Black Reaper on his knees in a single punch! Or should I just call you by your name, Hei?"

He shook his head briefly then turned around to get a glance at his attacker. Standing before him was a woman wearing red leather that hugged her sleek curvaceous body. She stared back at him with big dark brown eyes. Her nose was slender, as her lips were rather large, and rather kissable. If they weren't attached to a lethal bitch, Hei thought he might of done so. What was really unique about her was the flowing locks of purple hair, that sat naturally on a her large breast. It had a familiar look to it, but Hei crossed the thought from his mind. It had to be dyed.

"Who the hell are you?" He exclaimed.

"That won't matter for you much longer. I've already got what I came here for." The woman in red held up her hand. She was clutching a linen necklace that had a chip dangling on the end of it. Hei looked down and grabbed his chest where the chip was supposed to be. He grasped a fist full of shirt.

"Im…Impossible." He mumbled. A wide eye Hei locked eyes with the woman in disbelief.

The woman in red was showing a genial smile before she continued. "Now that I've completed my mission I don't think it would hurt to have a little more fun. We've got time. I'm sure I'll get a nice hefty bonus for completing the bounty that's been placed over your pretty little head." Hei's fingers recoiled into a fist. "It's such a shame to see such a handsome face go to waste. But after I get done with you, I'll be sure to put Yin at the top of my list." The woman laughed hysterically.

"You won't touch a hair on Yin's Head!" He stepped forward with fist raised, and threw a strong arm left punch. She dodged it flawlessly, then jabbed his rib cage with right hook. She then swung a left hook which hit him directly in the upper cheek. Hei didn't even wince because of the adrenaline. In response, he swung a quick right jab. It was going definitely going to hit her jaw line for sure.

Synchronously, the woman lowered her back, then dodged under the punch like is was limbo. As quick as Hei threw the jab, she whirled four punches in harmony. Three of them connected. They were body shots that completely ruptured his sense of balance. The fourth blow was an upper cut that smashed directly in to Hei's own jaw. Completely sending him off hit feet in to nearby desk. His back broke through the middle of it like a hammer, causing splinters of wood to shoot up in the air.

"What a pathetic joke. I don't know why I thought you'd put up more of a fight." Her finger went up to her earpiece, she listened as a dispatcher spoke to her on the other end. "Yes, I have the chip. Alright, I understand. I'll be there right away." Her hand returned to her side. " You're in luck Hei. I won't kill you tonight after all. Something more important has came up. " Hei groaned as he sat up. The woman pressed her fingers against her lips, then blew a kiss. "Chow."

Hei recovered, and hopped up on to his feet. He sent a flurry of punches off in her direction. While back tracking, she blocked most of them and dodged the rest. Just as her back thumped up against the glass, Hei lifted his leg up for a low kick. The woman put her hands down in a diamond formation in order to block the blow. She was about to deflect it, but then Hei stopped the kick, and grabbed her by the throat. The shock of it all was written all over her face.

"Impressive," she gurgled as the grip around her neck tightened. "It takes a lot of endurance to stop a kick in mid motion.

Hei's sullen blue eyes stared in to hers. He uttered a single word. "Die."

A recurring buzzing noise filled the room. Hei briefly looked at the flashing red siren lights that occupied each corner. It was the fire alarm. He looked back at the woman. A blue hue covered her body, and a red sparkle lit up in her eyes. Hei was about to touch his power but by then it was too late. Her entire figure became and ethereal white mist. Hei's tight grip loosened instantly. The smoke just wisped around his fingers, then it vanished entirely. He spun around and peered both ends of the room, looking for any signs of the woman. She was no where to be seen or even heard. She was gone.

Hei walked over to the debris on the ground and retrieved his mask, and earpiece. He put on both back on then radioed Amagiri.

"Amagiri, Do you read me?" Static whizzed in his ear. "Come in, Come in! This is Hei reporting in!" Nothing. Hei started to make his way towards the stairwell. What could possibly be keeping them from answering. This was a top priority mission. That's why he got a direct line to Amagiri himself and not some EVP representative. Hei wasn't in a hurry to tell them he failed them. He definitely wasn't in a hurry to look at Yin and tell him he failed her. But someone should still be on the other line.

"Hei! Come in Hei!" said a frantic voice on the other end of the receiver.

"This is Hei, I'm reporting on my mission. Where's Amagiri? He asked.

"None of that matters right now. Get to hideout number three immediately!" the voice proclaimed.

"Why? What's going on?"

"We're getting multiple reports that a new gate appeared." The line cut out. An alarmed Hei began sprinting towards the exit.


	2. A Rude Awakening: Part two

**AN: Please read and review. I can only improve with your imput. Whether it's good or bad I welcome it. **

Darker than BLACK: Grim Destiny

A Rude Awakening Part Two

Misaki Kirihara fumbled with her keys as she attempted to unlock the door to her apartment. It was a daunting task to do in the dark, even with glasses on. She considered taking the door key off the ring and putting it somewhere separate. But that thought was quickly dismissed, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep track of it. Five minutes later, she finally managed to open the door. She set her keys on the counter to the left, and tossed her briefcase to the right, it landed on the couch. This time the latch was tied so the contents didn't go flying all over her living room. She headed straight for the bedroom without turning on any of the lights. After years of tripping over the coffee table, or stubbing her foot on the sharp corners, the former police chief could now navigate to her bedroom flawlessly.

Without turning on any of the lights, she set her glasses and cell phone on the end table beside her bed. She didn't even bother taking off her clothes, and just flopped on to her bed. After a pain-staking seventeen hour shift the comforter was a warm welcome. Luckily, she had just finished the last day of work for this week. At least the over-time pay was decent. Now, she had all weekend starting with Friday to relax. As if she didn't have another minute to spare, Misaki dozed off in to a deep slumber.

A few hours went by before she was abruptly awakened by what sounded like an alarm. She usually resets the alarm clock at the start of her last day. But sometimes she's in too much of a rush, and forgets about the clock entirely. Not even looking, Misaki palmed the snooze button so hard that the clock fell off the night stand. The vexing sound continued on its mission to get on her last nerve. She reluctantly shifted her entire body to see what it was. It was her cell phone.

"Why does it have to be so damn loud!" she grumbled after putting her face in to the pillow.

Misaki picked up the phone to read the Caller ID. The light stung her eyes, and seeing that it was Saitou calling stung her pride. If she had known it was him, she wouldn't have even bothered moving in the first place. She needed a new phone, one that would say out loud who was calling so she could decide not to pick it up. She dropped the phone to floor without answering. Saitou was probably calling piss drunk from some karaoke bar, wanting a ride because he spent all of his money on God-knows-what. After what felt like an eternity, the ringing finally stopped. Misaki sighed from relief, then fluffed her pillow and tried to go back to sleep.

The phone rang again. It was punishing her for not answering the first time. She turned over and pick up the phone off the floor. Without even looking at the Caller ID, she pressed the green button to talk.

"What the hell do you want, Saitou? It's almost three o'clock in the morning," she snapped at him. "Do you know how many hours I've slept in the past twenty four hours?"

"Not much, I assume, but this is-"

"None! I have had _zero _sleep!" She hissed. "I'm too tired to drive your drunken ass around until you decide throw up in my car again."

"You drive like a bank robber fleeing a crime scene. Of course I threw up!"

"If you throw up in my car again- scratch that-if you even puke _around _me, I'm going to use my Taser and light you up like a Christmas tree."

"Are you done?" Saitou politely asked.

Misaki huffed. "Yes, I'm done."

"A new gate has appeared."

Misaki shot up in her bed. "What?" She exclaimed incredulously. If she had sat up any faster and she would of gotten a back muscle strain. "What the hell are you trying to say, Saitou?"

"I'm saying a new gate has appeared. It's located in the middle of a South African Jungle. The internet is in frenzy. By the rate people are logging on and posting their two cents, it's likely to crash soon. But they're calling it the Spirit's Gate."

Misaki got up from the bed and grabbed her glasses with the phone held up to her ear.

"Is there any word of another gate on the exact opposite ordinance of the world in the pacific ocean?"

"It's too early to say. But there aren't any reports of anomalies near the western U.S. coast," answered Saitou.

"No reports of any missing ships, or any plane malfunctions?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm sure we would have heard something by now."

"Then that would change _everything _we think we know about the gates." She turned on the hall light as she navigated to get her stuff and head for the door. There wouldn't be any assistance from caffine to help keep her awake. She didn't have time to make a pot of coffee. The urgency of the situation would have to be the only thing to keep her going. By now it was something she was used to.

"Yeah, you ain't kiddin'. This one gate thing has everyone here at the observatory running their own little think tanks.

"Observatory? Why are you there?"

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention it, but we're stationed here until further notice."

Misaki halted in her tracks, "That's a good idea. Whose was it?"

"Eh..." Saitou paused. She could tell over the phone he was reluctant to say. And since he was so reluctant she could already knew it would be, "Inspector Ming."Misaki pulled the phone from her mouth, then cursed under her breathe "Son of a bitch." She put the receiver back up to her mouth, "Why the hell did everybody listen to him?"

"Well, you are training him to take your place as Chief of Foreign Affairs, and he was the first one to make a decent suggestion after we were all stumped from the news of a new gate. I'll tell ya Chief, even I was stumped."

That didn't surprise her much. "You sound like you're on his side now." scolded Misaki.

Saitou reassured her. "No, that would never be the case. You know I'm always with you…No matter what."

"There's no way in hell I am going to let this slimy bastard undermine me while I'm still in charge. It's like he's already gunning for my position as Chief of the Japanese Police Department before I even officially accept the title. He has to learn his lesson before I become his boss."

"Hurry up and get here. He has everyone dancing to the beat of his drum."

"I'll be there in twenty. Bye." She was just about to hang up until Saito screamed into the speaker.

"Wait!" He said.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you look up."

"Alright, Bye." She ended the call, shrugging off what he said then grabbed her keys and briefcase then headed out the door.

Misaki knew was Saitou meant in that instant moment. She had looked up. Her items slipped from her trembling fingers as if they had become too heavy to carry. Her eyes were fixed on to the night sky similar to an arrow fixed at its target.

A swarm of radiant new stars occupied the sky. It was like looking at the sun's shimmering specks of light that hit a shifting bank of dark water. Most of the stars flickered continuously, while others streaked across the air like a comet. The beautiful spectacle would have been something to stare at for hours upon end. But Misaki knew the truth behind each falling star. As the star burned out entirely, so did the life of the contractor associated with it. Misaki picked her things up off the ground and rushed over to her car.

She glanced up one last time to make sure her favorite star had not fallen. Even in the midst of all the other flickering stars, she could tell which one was her Sirius. Misaki hadn't even laid eyes on Li in the past year and she was refering to him as 'her' bright star. _Although, he has been my shining light that guided me through some of my darkest moments. I guess it's still half true. _With that thought she got in her car then drove straight to the observatory.

* * *

><p>It was still dark when Hei arrived at the abandon warehouses on foot. There were wrecked buildings lined all the way down the dock as far as the eye could see. The Sendai Port used to be extremely active until a massive earthquake five years ago rendered the area unstable. The main port was relocated elsewhere, while damaged structures at Sendai became a ghost town. The only people that would roam these ruins were people looking to escape from the rest of society, such as homeless runaways and drug addicts. For years it went on like this, until Evening Primrose cleaned the area up to claim the place as their own. Every now and then there would be a few stragglers who wander around, but EVP usually left them alone. They only used one building as a temporary base of operations, and there was no way someone would happen to stumble upon it. Only someone who knew it was there would know where exactly to go. And that's where Hei was headed.<p>

Sluggishly, Hei put one foot in front of the other. Each step he took a thick puff of breathe pierced the cold still air. It still wasn't as bad as earlier though. The winter air was slightly warmer here since he was close to the waterfront. Beads of sweat poured down his face like bullet casings falling from an active machine gun. He was wearing his green coat and jeans with a white button up shirt. He was forced to change out of his Black Reaper clothes because black aptly attracts heat, in more ways than one. His raggedy green sneakers were being pushed to their limit since he hadn't really stopped except to change. He couldn't stop.

Yin was being housed at hideout number 3, so he ran most of the way. He didn't know if there was any mortal danger going on there, but deductive reasoning told him something was up. Amagiri not answering the page, the operator sounding shaken, and a new gate; all of these factors unnerved him, especially the part about the new gate. Every time he looked up at the bright night sky he was reminded of it. Where does that fit in to all of this? He took his transmitting piece out of his pocket and replaced it back in his ear. Someone had to be on the line still.

"Come in. Come in! It's Hei. Will somebody answer me?" Only the sound of static answered his empty plea. Hei pushed on relentlessly.

Even with Hei's star athleticism the constant movement proved to be taxing on his stamina. Especially after the beating he just took. It was stressful but he had to get there as soon as possible. He had considered taking public transportation for most of the trip but that would turn out to be a liability. He would stand out if looked too urgent to go somewhere at three in the morning. He deduced that he would probably be jittering and constantly looks over his shoulder. It wouldn't look that much different from a junky looking for a fix, and they stand out big time. Instead, he cut through back alley roads, and hopped fences, taking short-cuts where ever possible. From time to time he would slide behind and hide near a dumpster to make sure he wasn't being pursued.

Hei shuffled down the asphalt strip. He didn't look from side to side to scan the broken buildings like he normally would. He was almost sure no one would be following him now. Even if someone were watching him he didn't care enough to do anything about it. Yin was a top priority that trumped everything else. After what they been through for the past year, he be damned if he lost her now.

As he began approaching the final turn to the path towards the hideout, Hei started to hear a faint noise. He wasn't sure but it was probably coming from around the corner. As he drew closer to the source he concluded that something was definitely going on in front of the hideout. Hei dipped over to the building on the corner and put his back to the red brick wall. He could hear grunting, and screaming, along with a lot of cursing. Maybe it's his lucky night, and someone just happened to be using this location to shoot a cheap porno. He's seen weirder things happen. Besides, he had to rule out every possibility, no matter how unlikely. It could explain why everyone at the hideout was so tense. For him and the way this night was going would be a miracle if that was actually happening. Hei slowly peered around the corner.

What he saw surprised him just the same. Multiple agents of Evening Primrose were locked in a heated battle with each other. Mixed in were contractors he was sure he had even never seen before within the three month period he had been with EVP.

"Die, you insolent fuck!" screamed a voice he didn't recognize.

The man's yell betrayed his face because he looked like he was about to burst out in laughter. Just then a blue hue emitted over his body, his eyes turned red. The man's fingers turned in to black oily claws. He pointed his five fingers at the man in front of them. It was Adam. Adam was one of the technical assistants who was stationed at this warehouse. He was tall, and usually wore a penetrating stare on his face to ward off unwanted conversation. He would sometimes, without being told, guard the door just to get away from everyone. He wasn't even a contractor.

The claws instantly stretched forward and tore through the Adam's torso like a knife through a loaf of bread. He flicked his fingers then the black claws twisted then ripped the man in to five pieces from inside out. They swung around like a wild whip when he retracted them. The man pulled out a knife then stabbed one of his fingers. It was probably his payment, and from the rolling of the eyes, and the smile stamped on his face, it kind of looks like he enjoyed the pain.

_Sick bastard_, Hei thought. Just then a woman took advantage of the moment and ran then cracked his jaw from behind. The unexpected haymaker caused the man to drop instantly. She hopped on top of him and continued beating his face until it was time to move on to another victim.

Hei was in no condition to charge in to a heated battle just yet. Even if he were, with no sight of Amagiri he wouldn't be able to distinguish the right side from the wrong one. Another point of entry was required. The good thing about a hideout was that they always had a backdoor. Hopefully the fight hadn't spread around the entire area just yet.

When he reached the back, he could see the main dock that spread out in to the water. Two parallel wooden decks ran out, making the encased water appear U-shaped. It was for the larger ships so they could be unloaded from both sides simultaneously, then stored in the massive warehouse. But those never come through here no more. Under the cover of night, small tug boats would deliver a minute amount of supplies here for the Evening Primrose. But that was about it. Hei turned towards the metal door that sat aside the towering garage door. There were busted crates scattered amongst tipped oil drums. It has been a long time since something actually filled them. Even the flat walk way that rose up to the door had chunks of cement missing. Hei knew this was all an illusion. Once you raised the garage door, it was all modern from there on. A tech savvy teen would have wet dreams if they saw what was inside. The outer area was meant to look unused to safe guard everything that went on inside.

Hei went up the walkway to the shoddy door, grabbing on the metal railing for support. He grabbed a loose brick from the walk, revealing a nine digit key-pad. He used his pointer finger to press the digits, 222001. The door beeped and propped itself open. Hei pressed forward until he was in. The door slammed shut behind him.

Yelps and screams echoed repeatedly throughout the white hallway. It definitely wasn't a good sign, especially not for Yin. Hei hastened his steps. It was enough to cover more ground quicker, but still reserve energy. If the hideout had been taken by surprise, then the likeliness of Amagiri having enough time to hide her would have been nil. He tried to be optimistic for once. If he had time, then her safety would be sealed, literally. Amagiri took extra measures to ensure it. There weren't any contractors with the power to open the pathway to Yin. Hei and Amagiri were the only two people in the building who could so. He had to find Amagiri first.

The long hallway smelled of dry paint with a tinge of dust. Hei maintained his pace as trekked down the hall. This time Hei snapped his line of sight as he passed every turn, every door. He couldn't afford to be caught off guard now that he was so close to Yin. Even still, the sound of people screaming and fighting still unnerved him. He wished he hadn't changed out of his Black reaper uniform because now his alias was in jeopardy. He made his way toward the main apex of the building. That was the second biggest room in the warehouse. Amagiri used it for telecommunications and Intel-gathering. The fighting was certainly coming from that direction.

Hei approached the final turn to the Comm Room with caution. He stepped out in a defensive stance awaiting an attacker. But none came. Everybody was too busy fighting their own battles in little scuffles spread out across the entire room. Hei's probed the onslaught from left to right. It was like the fight outside, only worse. Mass mixtures of contractors he did and didn't know were using their abilities on each other. Some of them went full contact with their fist in close combat, while others were sprawled out on the floor bleeding out, either dying or already dead. He saw a few on the ground that were ignored completely. Those contractors were drenched in sweat and hyper ventilating. They probably hadn't made there payment in time, so they were sure to die soon.

The room was trashed from top to bottom. It was as if anything that could be carried was used as a weapon. Keyboards were being used as clubs, metal chairs as a conventional large mace, and computer screens were used as shields that also served another purpose as a tool for bashing people's heads with. Even the mouse was being put to use as Hei witnessed a man being choked out. Contractors are professional killers who used their power's as tools to kill. If they hadn't made their payment, other tools were used instead.

The bald headed Amagiri was taking on two other punks when Hei spotted him across the room. His large fist pulverized the nose of the agile attacker to his right, he dropped to the ground. The other one was a woman Hei didn't seem to recognize. She swung a left hook that was about to impact Amagiri's patched eye. At the last second, the hefty man raised his left arm and blocked, then used his right knee to connect a full force jab to the woman's stomach. Hei imagined how much that would hurt since Amagiri's knee was almost the size of a small soccer ball. The woman went down to the ground clutching her stomach.

Another man came up behind Amagiri with a broken crate piece the size of a two by four. This man Hei did recognize. He was a lowly communication assistant who assigned to this very warehouse. The man raised the wood above Amagiri's bare skull.

"Amagiri!" Hei called out.

Amagiri heard the faint call of his name and sprung around to see who said it. His focus was then shifted to the man with wood piece tightly gripped in between his fingers. He used both of his large hands to cup the man's fist before he had a chance to strike. Amagiri grabbed hold of the wood and yanked it out of his hands. He swung the wood at the man's head as if it were a baseball. The wood snapped over the side of the attacker's head. The man went limp and fell to the ground like a tired dog. Amagiri threw the broken wood piece to the ground and looked at Hei's direction. When he they locked eyes, He waved at Hei to come to him.

By now Hei regained some of his energy; he advanced towards Amagiri in a low stride. Halfway there a large buff man got in the way and swung a knife at his throat. He promptly dodged the slice. He used his left wrist to hit the large man's inner elbow, while using his right palm to smack the man's hand upward. The move was smooth, efficient, and didn't require a lot of energy. The combination flicked the knife behind the large man, who watched it disappear with wide eyes.

The large man's logic had told him that he was big and had a knife, and that this guy was unarmed and much smaller than him. His life experiences had taught him in that situation he should of been the victor. But yet he was too slow and his wrist was now at the mercy of this lanky boy with the cold blue eyes.

No mercy was shown as Hei nudged the man's arm back while twisting his wrist. The man's wrist began to crack a few times and what was a grown man instantly became a screaming little boy. Hei released his and the man dropped to his knees.  
>Smart can easily beat big, and now the large man knew that.<p>

"Hei! Behind you!" The warning came from Amagiri who was more than a few feet ahead.

He didn't even think before he acted. He viscerally did a turning roundhouse kick. The sole of Hei's shoe thwacked the oppressor in the jaw before Hei even saw his face. The momentum of the kick made the guy spin, spew saliva, blood and teeth in the same motion. To Hei, it looked identical to lawn sprinkler turning 360 degrees and spouting out water.

After the man's face hit the hard ground, Hei continued his trek towards Amagiri. To his luck, everyone else was too busy to take on another attacker.

"Thanks," said Hei as he approached Amagiri.

"Same to you," Amagiri responded in his usual deep hoarse voice. Gruesome scars from the burns he suffered during the Tokyo explosion plagued the left side of his face, all the way down to his waist. Now they serve as a constant reminder of the price he paid for his life. "Now we're even."

"Where's -" Hei was cut off by Amagiri.

"Yin's safe. I promised I would keep her from any chance of harm while you were out. I got her to the spot in time. Let's go."

Amagiri took the lead. The pair dipped off in to one of the long hallways. The white walls were painted a reddish brown from stained blood. Lifeless bodies lay spread apart up and down the halls. The battle hadn't just started in the Comm Room, it had erupted everywhere. The warehouse was large; it would take some time to go from one end to the other. Hei used the opportunity.

"What happened? He sternly asked Amagiri.

"We were ambushed by our own men," Amagiri brushed his hand over his bald head in comfort. "It happened so fast. I receive word of a new gate, so I went to check the source of this information myself. Not even moments after I arrived in the Comm Room a fight broke out." Amagiri shook his head in disbelief. "I don't even want to think about how much worse it would if been had I not been here."

"Do you think this is in correlation with the new gate appearing?"

"It could be, I don't see how though." Amagiri sighed. "I just can't believe we had sleeper agents with us the entire time."

"A lot of those men I didn't even recognize."

"The traitors let them in. I just want to know who's behind it all, so I can blast them to bits. Ya know, this was the first hideout I set up with some help from Amber. Now it's shit-wrecked."

"Do you think she knew about the betrayal or the new gate?"

Amagiri's brow furrowed as he weighed the question. "That girl could have seen the last day of life on earth and we still wouldn't know. Maybe this is the start of the evolution she always talked about. "

"They say that wisdom comes with time and age," Hei's blue eyes peered forward; he was staring but wasn't really looking at anything in particular. "Sometimes I wonder if she was the special exception."

"I can tell you've been reading some of the self-help books in the public loft at this facility," Amagiri smirked.

"Is it that obvious?" Hei asked. Amagiri immediately nodded. "I've been reading them to Yin, to see if she can develop people skills. We're in the middle of a chapter called 'Divulge your Thoughts, Declare your Emotions'. Sometimes I wonder that since I'm around her so much if she'll become more in touch with her emotions if I begin to."

"It could be possible. But I've never heard of a doll developing emotions."

If Amagiri had been with Hei and Yin for the past year, he'd be challenging that. "So you're using those books as a means to help?" Amagiri questioned.

Hei let the earlier statement go. Actions prove louder than words. "Yeah, they're an interesting read. "

"They put the logic into the usefulness of emotions. I bet you know who originally brought those books here."

In perfect unison they both said "Amber."

A hint of a smile escaped from Hei's normally gloomy expression. It was gone as quick as it came. Amagiri didn't even notice. He didn't deem Amagiri as one of the people who deserved to see his smile. Not yet at least. He would save his smile for Yin if…when He saw her.

"I just couldn't get rid of them," Amagiri whispered. It was so quiet Hei almost didn't hear him say it. "Now I'm glad I didn't. Come on, It's through here."

The two of them stopped at a door off to the side. Amagiri went through first, Hei followed. It was a small room storage room with a bunch of boxes that were stacked in an unorthodox fashion. Instead of certain items being thrown away, they got stashed here. Amagiri went to the corner of the room and moved some of them out of the way. It took a few minutes since there were many boxes of multiple sizes. He picked up the final box. It was empty, but the bottom had been cut out on purpose.

Directly under it was a filled hole in the floor the same exact proportion of the box. The cement block had to be near the same size, so when the time came he could just push the block into the opening and seal the secret pathway off without looking conspicuous. He made sure they were the only two with the abilities to get rid of it. All the other contractors could only inflict bodily harm. And there aren't many dolls whose mediums involved cement. That made it the perfect hiding spot to keep something safe.

"Step aside. I've been saving my power for this moment."

Hei stepped back behind him. Amagiri raised his right palm. The synchrotron radiation cloaked his body in blue. From his palm multiple concussive blasts smashed into the block, sending rock chips flying in random directions. When he had finished the pathway was revealed. Amagiri lowered his arm. The hole dropped down about seven feet into a hallway that led to a single room.

"Yin is at the end. Straight ten yards, then it turn left and goes another five yards. You'll see her as soon as you turn though."

"Alright, thanks."

"I'm beginning to like this emotionally aware Hei."

"Don't get too familiar with it." Hei said coldly.

"Now there's the Hei I'm used to. I've got to get back. Now that I'm going to use my power, we should be able to scrape up the rest of the traitors in no time. Be safe."

Hei watched as Amagiri walked out the room and shut the door behind him. He then hopped in the hole and landed ran down the tight corridor with full speed only to slow down at the turn. As soon as he did what he saw made him stop in his tracks instantly. Blood drained from his face, his stomach began to cringe and twist into knots. His mind raced as he tried to wrap his head around what he was seeing. It was unthinkable. It was Impossible. But yet there she was, standing right beside her.

"You…You Bitch."

Yin was sitting on a chair facing Hei. Standing next to her, twirling Yin's hair with her black finger nails, was the woman in red leather. Hei could tell she was wearing that same coy smile he had seen just a few hours before. Fight or Flight?

"I...I'm going to kill you." Hei charged at the woman with full strength.

He used his ability to conjure up a blue orb of lightening in his left hand; something he had never done before. A simmering anger swelled up inside of him. This was the woman who had just defeated him and now she was standing next to Yin. He had no choice at this point. Things like thought, or reason, had no control over his actions now. He was only a few yards away from Yin and the woman. Yin jumped out of the way to the wall on the side. That left the woman in red leather exposed and vulnerable.

As he closed in, Hei could see her devilish smile as she waved good-bye. Her eyes twinkled bright red and the blue synchrotron radiation coated her body. Her form began to turn in to the white mist starting from her feet. Hei put up the orb aiming for her head. He could see the whites of her eyes now. It was only two more steps.

"ARRHHHHAAAH!" Hei roared as the orb lightening grazed her face.

The woman's head dissipated in to a white mist at the touch of the orb. Hei passed right through it. Hei's orb collided in to the wall then disappeared. The heat from the orb made a chunk of the wall crack, and fall to the ground. The disjoined mist coincided together. The woman's gut wrenching laugh echoed throughout room and hall, and then faded in to silence as the wisp of mist dissolved.

"She's gone," Yin stated flatly.

Hei looked in to large Yin's purple eyes. "Is she dead?" Yin shook her head side to side. Hei banged the cement wall with a closed fist. "How do you know she's gone?"

Yin replied saying "She told me she would leave as soon as you got here. Her purpose would be fulfilled."

Hei went over to Yin then crouched down. "What? How long as she been here with you?"

"She arrived the moment Amagiri had sealed the pathway."

Hei was flabbergasted. If that were true then the woman had been down here with Yin for hours. Hei took Yin in to his arms, holding her carefully as if she were fragile like glass about to break.

"Did she hurt you?"

"No." Hei relaxed a little. Yin's head was resting over Hei's shoulder.

"Hei?" Yin said questioningly in her soft sweet voice. Hei pulled back to look her in the eye but he didn't let go of her.

"Yeah?"

"The book." Yin paused for a moment. Hei guessed she was thinking about what she was going to say. But it was hard to tell since she hardly showed any emotion. "The book that you read me."

"What about it?" Asked Hei.

"It says 'to express your feelings, you must try to put them in to thoughts, and communicate them with another person', correct?"

"Yeah," Hei's eyes squinted slightly as a single brow rose. "Do you want to try to explain your feelings to me?" Yin shook her head up and down yes.

"When the woman was here my heart was, it was..." she repeatedly tapped her chest.

"Beating rapidly?"

"Yes. My heart was beating rapidly. My stomach felt abnormal. I thought I was going to vomit. Water dripped from my forehead. Why was my body behaving in such a way?" Yin looked at Hei as if she were expecting to find the answers in his face.

"You were probably scared. That's why your body acted that way."

Yin repeated the word, "Scared?"

"Yes. Fear is an emotion that you feel under stressful situations. Your body did all those things because of it. You were right to feel that way though. It's ok to fear for yourself with someone like that standing beside you."

"No," uttered Yin.

"No, what?"

"I did not fear for myself as you say I do," said Yin.

"Then why were you scared?" asked Hei.

"I was scared for you," she replied in monotone.

"For me? That doesn't make any sense. Why?"

"If you face that woman in combat you will die." The seriousness of Yin's words etched on her face. His eyes enlarged.

"How do you know that?"

"It's her ability. I... I.." she looked away. "I can't find the words to explain it." With the top of his fingers Hei gently raised her chin to make eye contact again.

"It's ok." He said, and then hugged Yin again. He got up and extended his hand towards her, "Let's go." She took his hand and held on to it as the two of them walked out. Even though she was behind him because of the narrow path she didn't let go of his hand.

"Hei, My heart is beating rapidly again, like a flutter. My stomach is feeling different. Not the same as before. I think I'm scared again. This is a strange feeling. Why is this happening?"

Hei smiled for the second time that night. This was much more noticeable but he was in the lead so Yin couldn't see it. "Well, to put it simply, you are scared but for an entirely different reason."

"What reason is that?" she asked.

"You're going to have to figure that one out for yourself." Explaining the complexity of emotions to someone who has no memory of how they work, is like explaining to a blind man how to see. Hei wasn't even entirely sure what she was feeling. "Emotions can sometimes mean more than one thing. Take fear for example. You can fear because of something bad. But you can also fear because of something good. You just have to pay close attention to which one it is. Does that make any sense?"

"No. Emotions are confusing." Yin squeezed Hei's hand. "But I will try harder to understand them."

Hei couldn't help but feel a little better. Even if the warehouse had been lost he would still have Yin. He was thankful that the Woman in Red Leather didn't hurt Yin. If she was with Yin for that long then she could have done anything to her. Why didn't she? If the tables were turned, Hei would have used that interval of time as an opportunity. He would have to ask Yin about it some other time.

The duo reached the opening in the floor. Amagiri was standing over it his fist on his hips and his chin held high.

"I take it you cleared out the rest of the traitors." Hei said as he lifted Yin up to him.

"It's done. Most of them are dead or gone. It's was odd. There was a howling laugh and the ones that were alive stopped fighting and ran out. We did capture one of them. Also, I sent two units to set up a clear proximity range."

"You heard her too?" Hei murmured under his breath. What power could she possibly possess? What did this woman do to convince Yin that he would certainly die? All Hei knew was that she could turn in to an ethereal smoke. She got to the hideout in within minutes of leaving Agora financial. But she could of easily teleported here with another contractor. What if she had goten down there alone? What then?

"Is everything alright?" Amagiri grabbed Hei's hand as the two combined their strength to pull Hei up. Amagiri then implied "You look like you just saw a ghost." Only if he knew that what he was implying could very well be the truth.

"It's nothing." Hei said with a stiff expression. He wasn't fine at all. Still, there was no need to concern Amagiri about his failure to protect Yin in his absence. There was an unknown factor in play, the Woman in Red. Hei couldn't even foresee her showing up. "You said that you caught one of them. I want to be the one to interrogate them." The three of them left the small room; Amagiri was leading them towards the dock. He most likely had a boat waiting for all of them.

"He's being transported to a more secure location as we speak. I couldn't risk doing it here, not after what happened. Besides, you should get some rest. You had yourself quite a night."

"I'm fine." Hei lied. Rest was the top thing on his list after Yin safety. But he would never show it, not now. "I just want to get this over with."

"Don't worry. You'll get your chance to put'em through the wringer soon enough. I'll see to it personally." Amagiri waved to Yin. "Maybe you should keep her company, at least until morning."

"You're probably right. How far is this other hideout?"

"'Bout an hour and a half by boat, and then another hour by car. I'll set you two up in a room as soon as we arrive. You'll get a crack at our prisoner in the morning"

When they all arrived at the load out it was still evening time. There were a few contractors overseeing the two white speed boats tied up to the dock post.

"We're splitting up. You and Yin take that boat over there. It's faster." Amagiri was pointing at the one off to the right. "I'm going to take a few fighters with me and take at more obvious path. You two will be taking a safer and less traveled route.

"Sounds like a plan," Hei affirmed as he and Yin walked towards the speed boat.

"You're driver, Liz, has the ability to turn anything she touches invisible, including people. And she's a hell of a driver. Yin will stay safe. I haven't broken my promise yet." Amagiri was confident in his words. He departed into the murky black waters before them.

"All aboard," said Liz. She had short smoky black hair and was wearing a navy blue turtle neck with matching khakis. Hei hopped in first, and then took Yin's hand as she stepped in with one foot then the other. When they were seated and strapped down the boat waddled out the dock area.

"And we're off." The boat picked up speed quickly. It wasn't long before Liz had it in full gear heading south.

The rush of air caused Yin's silvery hair to fly back over her shoulders. Hei watched calmly as Yin stared up at the vast stars. There were so many of them. It's been a long time since she remembered the night being this illuminated. It brought her back to when the big yellow moon would sometimes rule the night sky. She's been fond of the memory ever since she regained it because of Itzhak. Yin focused her attention to Hei. He acted like he hadn't been staring at her the whole time by pretending he had spotted something in the water off to the side of the boat. The radiant moon and everything that went with those memories made her warm inside. But the moments with Hei made her warmer. Yin moved closer to Hei then wrapped her arms around his waist. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against him.

Hei put his left arm around Yin's shoulder. Some of her hair blew in to her face, so Hei used his finger to brush it back behind ear. He crossed his other arm over her and cradled her. _She must be cold_, thought Hei. Despite all of his efforts she was still a doll. She couldn't have known what cuddling like this meant to him. He hadn't done it in so long, but it was still familiar to him. He tucked his head over Yin's. The thought slipped from his consciousness, he didn't have time to live in the past. He was a man who usually thought about the future. But right now, he was letting himself enjoy the present. If she fell asleep, then he would simply pick her up and carry her where ever they needed to go.

**AN: Sorry for the long wait. I moved to a different state and didn't have much time to write. I'm working on the third chapter right now. I would like to thank Destinies Entwined for her help, and everyone else who reviewed or left me a message from my previous story. Enjoy =P**

**Please tell me what you think about this Chapter. Did You like it? Did you Hate it? Tell me the reason why? I value your opnions.**


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